What is a motif, leitmotif, and theme?
- A motif is a short melodic idea.
- The theme (or subject) is a longer musical statement and is built with one or more motifs.
- However, a leitmotif (invented by the opera composer Richard Wagner) is a musical label for a character.
Marie Stobla states:
In manipulating Leitmotifs Wagner used the contrapuntal technique of Bach and the motivic development of Beethoven.
There are Leitmotifs of association, presentiment, reminiscence, and presence. They represent characters, places, things, thoughts, premonitions, and have other associations. (The Development of Western Music: A History 690)
What does this have to do with John Williams, the Star Wars composer?
Nicholas Meyer makes the connection:
Like Wagner, Williams proved adept at minting signature tunes for all the major characters and emotions…
Williams’ tunes, in their variety of manifestations, come to be automatically associated in the audience’s mind with their subjects, even as Wagner, and like Wagner, Williams’ orchestra is huge. (Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology 14-15)
Richard Wanger